Bombay High Court, in a 2‑judge bench, banned the bursting of firecrackers on all Mumbai public roads from Sept. 9 – Sept. 26, the period of the Ganesh festival. The order also outlawed loudspeakers, DJs and laser beams during processions.
The bench, led by Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale, issued the ban after a suo‑motu notice on Monday that highlighted severe noise and air pollution. Mumbai Police had earlier issued a directive prohibiting gatherings of more than five people on the roads during the same period.
Advocate General Milind Sathe told the court that the police directive existed but enforcement was lax. He noted that violations were frequent and that the directive was largely paper.
The court ordered the authorities to enforce the ban and to impose strict penalties on violators. It also urged the government to require a security deposit from procession organisers and to display the ban prominently at all venues.
The judges stressed that the ban is not against festivals but against unsafe practices that endanger public safety and health. They warned that noise and toxic pollution from firecrackers could jeopardise lives during the already polluted season.
The High Court will issue a formal order next week directing officials to monitor decibel levels and to act against offenders. Authorities must now implement the ban across all festivals in Mumbai.